Television antenna



June 23, 1953 H. c. ANDERSEN 2,643,335

TELEVISION ANTENNA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 9, 1951 INVENTOR wave) 6'- A/VDEESE/V,

BY V

QM/idem ATTORNEYS June 1953 H. c. ANDERSEN I 2,643,335

TELEVISION ANTENNA Filed Nov. 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/G. 2. N F/G. 3.

' INVENTOR HEN/9V a mvoaessm BY 7f mflwywz Umiem I ATTORNEYS Patented June 23, 1953 UNITED STATES iATENT OFFICE TELEVISION ANTENNA Henry C. Andersen, Lancaster, Calif. 1 Application November 9,1951, Serial No. 255,347

This invention relates to antennas, and more particularly to a television antenna of the rotatable type. g

The main object or the invention is to provide a novel and improved antenna suitable for use with television and similar receivers, the improved antenna being simple in construction, being easy to install, and being rotatable to desired orientations to provide maximum eff ciency of reception of television transmitters and similar radio transmitters located in difierent directions from a given point of reception at which the improved antenna is located. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotatable antenna suitable for use in receiving television signals, said antenna being inexpensive to fabricate, involving relatively few parts, being rugged in construction and being relatively compact in size.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanyin drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View of an improved television antenna constructed in accordance with the present invention. 7 1

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the television antenna illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 3-3'of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional detail View taken on the line 5+4 of 'Figure'B.

Referring to the. drawings, the. antenna is designated generally at H and comprises a vertical standard ormast' i2 adapted to'bemouhted in a fixed position on the structure to which the antenna is to be attached, as for example the roof of a building. Secured to the top end of the mast i2 are the respective oppositely directed horizontal arms I3, 3 to the ends of which are rigidly secured the respective vertical sleeve members [4, i4. Extending rotatably and slidably through the respective sleeve members 54, M are the respective vertical post members l5, l5 which may be formed of tubular metal stock. As shown in Figure 3, the lower ends of the post elements are supported in the sleeve members [4 by disc members 16 engaging respective insulating discs I! secured on the sleeve members M. Secured on the insulating discs I! are the respective annular conductive rings IS which are engaged by the insulating discs l6. Extending transversely through the post elements 15 are keys H) which engage the insulating discs l6, as shown in Figure 3. Ex

' '3 Claims. (01. 250-3355) 2 tending transversely through the lower end portions of the post members l5 are additional keys 20 which support annular rings 2| encircling the post members It. Surrounding the post members l5 and-bearing on their lower ends on the rings 2| and on their upper ends on the bottom rims of the sleeves M are respective coil springs 22 which bias the post members 15 downwardly while allowing said post members to rotate in the sleeves Mo Secured to each post member I5 by respective bolts 23 are the vertically spaced U-shaped brackets 24, 24, the bolts 23 extending through the bight portions of the brackets and being insulated therefrom by insulating bushings 25, as shown in Figure 3. Secured to the ends of the arms of the brackets 24, 24 are the vertical mast elements 26. Secured in regularly spaced relation to the vertical mast elements 26 are the re-- spective sets of horizontally extending conductor rods 21 and 28, the conductor rods 2? being secured to one of the mast members 26 and the conductor rods 28 being secured to the other of the mast members 26, the rods 23 being staggered relative to the rods 21, as shown in Figure 1. The

As shown in Figure .3, the strap members 29 may be secured to the mast members 26 by bolts 3|, said bolts being employed for securement to the respective ends of the arms of the U-shaped brackets 24, whereby the mast members 26 are rigidly secured to the'b'rackets by the same bolts 3| which clamp the strap members 29 to the mast members 26. Each strap member 29 is formed at its lower end with a downwardly and inwardly extending resilient contact arm 32 which slidably engages the associated contact ring i8 and thereby electrically connects the conductor arms 28 or 21 to the conductive ring i8 associated therewith. As shown in Figure 1, the arms 2'! and the arms 28 may be rotated into coplanar relationship, said arms 21 and 28 being secured adjacent their ends and the longer portions of said arms 21 and 28 being arranged to intermesh when they are rotated into the aforesaid coplanar relationship.

Designated at 33, 33 are respective terminals secured to the respective insulating discs ll and electrically connected to the respective conductive rings l8 by fastening bolts 34, in the manner shown in Figure 3. The antenna lead-in wires 35, 35 are connected to the respective terminals 33, 33, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Extending through and rigidly secured to the lower end of each rotatable post member [5 is a transversely extending bar 36. The ends of the bar 36 have respective cables 31 and 38 connected thereto. The cables 3'! and 38 pass over respective pulleys 39 and 40 rotatably supported on the vertical mast l2 and extend to suitable reels whereby the vertical post members [5 may be rotated from remote positions by suitable manual control means, not shown. It will be readily apparent that the respective post members l5 may be rotated either simultaneously or independently of each other, and that the orientations of the respective horizontal conductors 21 and 28 may be varied in any suitable manner by the operation of the aforesaid manual control means. For example, the conductors 21 and 28 may be arranged either in the coplanar meshing relationship, as shown in Figure 1, or may be rotated in unison and in parallel relationship to face in any desired direction and to provide maximum efficiency of reception of television signals coming from any desired direction.

It will be understood that the respective con ductors 21 and 28 define vertically stacked elements of the respective arms of a dipole antenna and are employed in conjunction with a conventional transmission line, such as for example the usual 300 ohms twin-lead transmission line employed for connecting television antennas to television receivers.

While a specific embodiment of an improved television antenna has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A television antenna comprising a support having a horizontally extending arm, respective vertical sleeves at the opposite ends of said arm, respective vertical mast members rotatably and slidably mounted in said sleeves, a plurality of coplanar horizontal conductor rods secured to each mast member in vertically spaced relation,

means electrically connecting the rods of each mast member, the conductor'rods on one mast member being staggered relative to the conductor rods on the other mast member and said rods being arranged to intermesh when rotated into the same vertical plane, and means for rotating said mast members.

2. A television antenna comprising a support having a horizontally extending arm, respective vertical sleeves at the opposite ends of said arm, respective vertical mast members rotatably and slidably mounted in said sleeves, spring means operatively connected to said sleeves and said mast members and biasing the mast members downwardly in said sleeves, a plurality of elongated coplanar horizontal conductor rods secured adjacent their ends to each mast member in vertically spaced equidistant relation, means electrically connecting the rods of each mast member, the conductor rods on one mast member being staggered relative to the conductor rods on the other mast member and said rods being arranged to intermesh when rotated into the same vertical-plane, and means for rotating said mast members.

3'. A television antenna comprising a support having a horizontally extending arm, respective vertical sleeves at the opposite ends of said arm, respective vertical mast members rotatably and slidably mounted in said sleeves, spring means biasing the mast members downwardly in said sleeves, stop means limiting downward movement of the mast members in the sleeves, a plurality of elongated coplanar horizontal conductor rods secured adjacent their ends to each mast memher in vertically spaced equidistant relation, means electrically connecting the rods Of each mast member, the conductor rods on one mast member being staggered relative to the conductor rods on the other mast member and said rods being arranged to intermesh when rotated into the same vertical plane, an insulating ring carried concentrically on each sleeve, an annular contact ring mounted concentrically on each insulating ring, a resilient contact brush connected to each electrically connecting means and slidably engaging the contact ring of the associatedsleeve, a terminal connected to each contact. ring, and means for rotating said mast members.

HENRY C. ANDERSEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,419,609 Ulrich Apr. 29, 1947 2,483,504 Gutschow et a1 Oct. 4, 1949 2,507,225 Scheldorf May 9, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES Radio Electronics, August 1949, pages 28 and 29. 

